The festival season is fast approaching and that means students all over the country will be planning the long summer holidays around the best outdoor music events. This year there is the usual eclectic mix of festivals from the big hitters like Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and V Festival to the more intimate, less established events such as Electric Picnic, Wakestock and Wild in the Park. For those wanting to really escape from their studies, there are great weekends away to be had at festivals like Rock in Rio and Benicassim.

But students wanting to book their place in the crowd will have to act quickly; the majority of festivals will sell out before many fans have had a chance to pick up the phone or to log on to the site. The likes of Reading and Leeds are already sold out and others are sure to follow as the British love of festivals shows no signs of abating.
As a result of the high demand, many students will turn to the resale market to get their tickets. But they run the risk of being ripped off or defrauded if they buy tickets from unscrupulous touts on the street or on unsecure sites. Many will be left out of pocket and face being turned away at the festival gate if their ticket turns out to be counterfeit.

Ticket industry expert Eric Baker, CEO of viagogo.co.uk, Europe's leading online ticket exchange, is warning students to be on their guard and to only trust reputable outlets:

"Touts are all to ready to pounce on unsuspecting victims and we've seen students get ripped off before in their enthusiasm to attend these events. My advice is to, above all, only use a secure exchange which guarantees that if you're a buyer you get your tickets and if you're a seller you get paid. Additionally, here are five top tips:

1. Don't agree to meet strangers to hand over money for tickets. They could take your money and run. Besides, it could be dangerous to meet someone you don't know.
2. Don't accept the promise of "guarantees" without doing your homework. Many websites say 100% guaranteed, but the guarantee is only as good as the guarantor.
3. Make sure that any online exchange you use is reputable. Anyone can build a website or buy links on Google. Ask if they are in business with any major organisations or teams. Search to see if they've been written about by major publications.
4. Never buy from a source that doesn't give clear instructions, terms and conditions. Good resellers are happy to explain what your rights are and what their responsibilities are.
5. Don't buy tickets outside the festival. This is where a great deal of fraud occurs. The "Picassos" of fraudulent tickets are now able to create forgeries that look as good as the originals, by the time you get to the door and are denied entry the street seller will be long gone."